


Life With Spices Added

by writing_and_worrying



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Also i spell johan as johann dont @ me, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Anxiety, Character Death, Davenport uses sign language, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Johan (The Adventure Zone) Should Be Spelled Johann, M/M, Magic, Merle is a good role model, Scars, Science, Science Fair, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Talking About Life, This one gets kinda deep sorry boys, also Kravitz is the grim reaper, and death, everyone is sad, fantasy racism is kinda a thing but only in the background, inspired by journeys end and also over the garden wall so idk what the fuck happened, lots of sad convos with two characters, lucretia is a nerd, lup is great, magic and fantasy races are a thing, magnus is even sadder than taako, not proof read, nothing happens in this fic, shit goes down basically, taako is sad, taako kinda gets more screentime than the others but they are all important
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-08-07 13:58:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16409768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writing_and_worrying/pseuds/writing_and_worrying
Summary: It's a The Adventure Zone High School AU that literally no one asked for.= Description =When rumours about the 'Bureau of Balance' squad start to turn into harassment, they know they've got to do something. 5 videos is all it takes to clear their records. But at what cost?Basically an overly complicated angst-filled shit show.Powers and fantasy races are a thing.Merle is basically Taako and Lup's adoptive father?Everyone is sad but everyone gets a good dose of comfort.





	1. Chapter 1

His head hurt. He knew that much. It felt like someone was drilling a red hot screw into his cranium. Well, maybe not that bad but he had a killer headache to say the least. The pain was slowly getting fainter, however, emphasis on the slowly. Eventually, his eyes fluttered open to see that the ground was sideways. Blinding light almost made him close his eyes again, but he kept them open to continue surveying his sideways surroundings. The side of his face was pressed into a dusty wooden floor. Directly in front of him was a... a workbench? He wasn't sure. There was a metallic taste in his mouth. His nose felt wierd. He had so many questions. Wasn't he upright a minute ago? He could hear someone shouting, but it was muffled. Damn sensitive ears. He had definitely landed on his face. Wait, landed? What- Oh, _fuck_. It was all flooding back to him now.

He, Taako, had been punched in the face. By his best friend.

It had all started with a text.

**Lup:** hey dipshit check on Maggie for us

As much as he loved his sister, Taako was cursing her name at that moment. Everyone knew how Magnus got when he wanted to work on something. A woodworking project, a new karate move, a piece of music. It was always the same. He'd shut himself in and not talk to anyone until he was done. If anyone interrupted him, they'd pay for it.

**Taako:** hold the fucking phone, sis. Why do i have to do this? What's in it for me? And why do i need to check on our good friend Magnus who is probably very busy and _doesn't want to be interrupted?_

Taako sighed as he watched the little ellipses bob up and down under Lup's name. He knew that no matter how shitty the reason she came up with was, he'd still agree to talk to Magnus. He always did.

**Lup:** you're his best friend. And to be honest, we're all kinda worried about him. He hasn't been this invested in a project since you-know-what and it's kinda scary... I think he needs you right now.

Breathing in through his nose, Taako ran a hand through his hair, casting 'disguise self' on himself. Everything went fuzzy for a second before it cleared and he breathed out through his mouth.

**Taako:** fine, I'll text you later. Don't forget Merle wants you home by seven

Taako looked in the mirror and smiled. His dark, poreless skin was sporting a palatable and trendy amount of freckles while his hair was dyed a brilliant white and tied back into a loose braid. His light grey eyes sparkled in the artificial light of his bedroom, as if he were a superstar. He knew he didn't need to check his teeth but he did anyway and, yes, they were bright, white and straight. No food stuck in them at all. Amazing. _Perfect_.

Grabbing a stylish but seasonally appropriate (wintery) jacket, Taako quickly stepped out of the room. As he shut the heavy, redwood door (absolutely crafted by Magnus), his phone buzzed on the matching redwood desk. The screen lit up, revealing one text only. Then, it buzzed again - immediately revealing a second message on its colourful surface.

**Lup:** k

**Lup:** don't forget your phone

\----------------

"Fuuuck," Taako groaned from his position on the floor. Moving his mouth was apparently a mistake, however, as his entire face lit up with burning pain. Magnus seemed to be the person yelling, but he didn't know what the guy was saying. He felt himself being lifted away from the floor, the movement made him feel nauseous. Magnus gently sat him down on a chair that he had probably made. They were in his workshop, after all.

Taako was still trying to get his senses in check. Could he taste? Yes, the blood in his mouth was probably the clearest thing right now. Could he feel? Gods, he wished he couldn't. His face hurt like hell. What about smell? Yeah, the workshop always smelt the same. Like wood, unsurprisingly. Hearing? All Taako could hear was a faint ringing and Magnus' muffled voice. His ears must've been hurt when he hit the ground. They'd heal, his hearing was coming back to him by the second, but sensitive ears was just one of the perks of being an elf. Something similar was happening with his sight, fluctuating from blurred to clear every few seconds. But it was getting better. He tried to pick out anything Magnus was saying.

"Taako........ sorry... okay?" Taako shook his head to try to get rid of the ringing. He could tell Magnus was trying to talk to him but he wasn't exactly able to respond. The ringing persisted. Damn, how hard did he get hit? Taako tried to focus on Magnus' voice, determined to talk to his friend.

"Taako, please. Tell me if you're okay!" Taako could just make out the words over the ringing. Knowing that moving his mouth would hurt, he just nodded slightly to let Magnus know he wasn't dying or anything. Magnus sighed in relief. Taako could see clearly now, and noticed that Magnus' chest was rising and falling incredibly fast. Was he that worried? How sweet. Taako wished he could talk, there were so many snarky comments he wanted to make.

Magnus grabbed his tiny first aid box and opened it. Taako was too caught up in his own pain to notice, but his hands were trembling heavily as he fumbled around for whatever he was looking for. He turned back to Taako and poured some sort of ointment into a ball of cotton wool, kneeling down so his eyes were level with Taako's.

"Is it magical?" Taako asked, trying to move his mouth as little as possible. It still hurt. Clearly he had a busted lip and a nosebleed, luckily nothing felt broken. Magnus nodded.

"It should heal you," he replied quietly. He moved the cotton wool onto Taako's lip, which would've been kind of awkward if they weren't such good friends. Taako immediately felt his face being healed by the ointment, the pain draining away quickly. Magnus smiled when he saw the damage he had done disappear. But his smile turned into a frown as he backed away.

"Taako... I'm so sorry. I- you just came in and started talking. I was so _angry._ It's- it's.. I don't know." Tears started to form in Magnus' eyes as he struggled to voice his feelings. Taako sighed to himself, it was time to play therapist again.

"The whole team was worried about you, Mags. You haven't worked on something this hard since-" Taako stopped himself before he could finish his sentance, but the pained look Magnus gave him told him he knew what he was going to say. So much for being the therapist.

"I know. I'm sorry," Magnus mumbled. Deep regret and sadness drifted onto his face as he spoke. Taako shook his head.

"You don't need to be sorry. You need to be honest. Why are you acting like this? What's going on?" He asked in the most reassuring tone he could muster with his naturally sarcastic voice. Magnus shivered.

"You don't hear them, do you?" Magnus questioned. Taako's eyes darted around the room, worried that his friend was seeing something he wasn't. Magnus smiled at this action, and continued.

"People at school. They, uh, don't like us very much. Not many people do. We're not a conventional group. I mean, who the hell calls themselves the 'Bureau of Balance' unironically? We're a group of people who haven't even _tried_ to explain themselves. So, naturally, rumours form. Following so far?"

Taako nodded absently. The news that people talked behind his back? Soul-crushing. Was he really that self-absorbed that he didn't notice? Taako felt uneasy, he hated not knowing things. But he wouldn't tell Magnus this.

"It's fair enough, y'know?" Magnus said, "there's things we don't even tell _eachother_. It was inevitable that people would start making up stories. But they're getting too much. I get texts all the time, from people I don't even know, asking me how I got my scars. Maybe you don't hear the voices. Maybe you don't get the texts. But I do. And it- well.. it hurts, dude. The shit they say, it's terrible. And they talk about _all_ of us."

Taking a shaky breath, Magnus stood up and turned around. He grabbed the object he had been working on. A little wooden statue of a figure, perfectly crafted - almost lifelike. Magnus smiled at his work, clearly proud of the nearly-finished piece. He set it down on the arm of Taako's chair and Taako immediately recognised who the figure was.

"It looks just like her," Taako whispered, looking at Magnus with his proudest expression. Magnus grinned, happy to get such high praise from his friend.

"Thank you," he said, biting back the quiver in his voice.

"No pro-"

"For coming to talk to me, Taako," Magnus interrupted, "I'm not.. I'm sorry I hurt you. These rumours - they're getting to my head and I-"

" _No problem_ , Mags." Taako said, sincerely (if a little forcefully). Magnus scowled playfully at him for the interruption. Taako grinned and stuck out his tongue.

"Two can play at the interruption game, homie!" 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako catches up with the rest of the BoB and gets kicked out of class

Lup hadn't shut up since Taako got home. She wanted to know everything that had happened with Magnus, and had also scolded Taako for leaving his phone at home. Taako had told her he would tell her everything during their walk to school in the morning, hoping she would forget by that time.

Alas, she had a perfect memory.

"So," Lup said almost as soon as the twins had left the house. Taako tried to play dumb. Or, dumber than his normal level of dumb.

"So what?" Lup laughed at this.

"What happened with Magnus, asshole?" She replied. Taako pretended to think for a moment. Half pretended. He _was_ trying to think of a good way to start his explanation.

"He was making a statue. Of a person," he said simply. Dammit. _Why_ did he bring up the fucking statue? The thing he wanted to talk about _least_.

"Was it of-"

"Yes," Taako cut Lup off with a snappy and serious tone. He didn't like to talk about _her._ No one did, really. But Taako hated it the most, more than Magnus, more than anyone. Lup gave him a _look._ Taako took a small breath and the taste of sugar entered his mouth. They had passed the bakery already? How quickly were they walking? Taako looked at his feet. Ah, he was speed-walking. He slowed down, now conscious of his anxious actions. Lup didn't seem to notice.

"He was angry, I think," Taako said vaguely, "he said people are spreading rumours about us." He purposefully left out the part where Magnus broke his face, he didn't want Lup to worry too much. And, considering what had happened last year, Magnus had the right to be... a little unstable. And angry. At Taako.

Lup slowed her walking a little. Taako, walking ahead, turned to look at his twin. She looked confused, and worried, which almost set off Taako's fight or flight instincts. Then, out of nowhere, she spoke.

"I thought- I hoped it was just me,"

They didn't talk any further on the topic, Lup quickly changing the subject. It was their final year of high school, and Elven was their first lesson of the new year.

They were in their seats before the bell rang. It was their favourite class, after all. Taako and Lup were two of the very few elves that went to their school, of course they'd take Elven as their World Language. Plus they got to learn new things about their own history and culture, something they knew little about.

Their professor last year was a super chill elf guy who made learning way more fun than not. He wouldn't teach them this year, but the twins hoped their new professor was just as fun.

Another student that always arrived early to class was Lucretia, a dark-skinned human who took the class to learn more about her friends' rich language. It also gave her something to write on job applications, and a way to communicate with the twins without anyone spying on them. She waved at Taako and Lup as they sat down, her desk already covered in paper.

"Lucy, honey, class hasn't even started yet. How the fuck do you have notes?" Lup asked in an amused voice. Lucretia shrugged.

"I like to be organised," she replied with her classic calm tone. Taako smiled.

"I like what you've done to your hair," he said. Over the summer, Lucretia had shaved away her long hair and replaced it with a neat buzz cut. It was a dramatic change, but it was made even more dramatic when she dyed what was left of her hair blonde. To be fair, it did look great. With the added piercings, she looked like a post-apocalyptic rogue disguised as a high-schooler. Or that's the comparison Taako came up with, anyway.

"Thanks," Lucretia said as she grabbed a pencil and wrote something in her journal. As she did, more students began to file into the classroom. They added noise and smells that Taako didn't particularly like, especially when he's trying to catch up with his friend, but for now he just had to deal with it.

He had never really noticed before, but everyone seemed to be sitting on the other side of the room from where they were. And _damn_ , that made Taako feel shitty. Lup and Lucretia just continued to talk, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings - though Taako knew they noticed. He frowned. They were used to it, he guessed. How long had this been happening?

The class was talking amongst themselves, so caught up in their own little worlds that they didn't even notice the new professor walk in. Well, until she slammed her heavy bag onto her desk.

"Sit down, everyone! Be quiet and be ready to learn!" She was a tall, tan, human woman with a voice that grated away at Taako's ears. Or, it wasn't so much the voice, but the tone, that was annoying. And the way she demanded the students to sit, shouting with no regard to their personal triggers? She clearly carried an 'I'm better than everyone else' attitude too.

Taako could already tell that he was going to hate this class by the end of the year. It was a shame, he did love his language. But a bad professor can change your whole attitude to a subject.

The professor started to note down who was there, calling out people's names and shouting at them if they didn't address her 'with respect'. Taako was pleasantly surprised when she pronounced Lup's name correctly - most professors got it wrong more than once - but then it was time for his.

"Tay- Tayko?" She said, stumbling over his name with little grace. A couple of students giggled. Taako sighed, this happened way too often. He expected better from someone who taught the language the name was from, but oh well.

"It's Taako." He thought that'd be the end of it, he really did. But this teacher was persistent, claiming Taako was making fun or being sarcastic. Taako was getting angry. He knew he had a... pretty dumb sounding name, from a human's point of view. But it was traditional, gods damn it! Someone _teaching_ Elven should know that!

He got sent out for saying exactly that.

\----------------

Magnus' day wasn't going any better. After his boring Spanish class, it was time for Music. He played piano for the band, and he loved music. He loved the emotion that could be packed into every note of a song. He loved the beauty of a simple melody. He loved the way his hands would glide over the keys in an effortless manor as he played.

But he fucking hated his professor.

"Johann, play bar 22 onwards!" The professor yelled. Magnus cringed, why was it always Johann? Every professor knew that Johann had anxiety, and he didnt like to be put on the spot, but Professor Lewis picked on him every single lesson.

Johann picked up his violin with trembling hands, and started to play. Every time he hit a wrong note he would flinch, and so would Magnus. But it was an advanced piece, and he played it very well for his grade. His music always held a lot of _heart._ Magnus was sure Johann would be an amazing musician in the future. Hell, he already was.

When the piece was finished, Professor Lewis scowled.

"Not good enough. Work harder, Johann! Do you even _want_ to get a good grade?" The man cried. Johann nodded as he sat down, looking ready to die. Magnus sighed as Professor Lewis looked over at him.

"Now, Magnus. Play your part from bar 12."

\----------------

"And _then_ she claimed to know more about Elven than _me_!" Lup exclaimed across their lunch table. Taako nodded, looking just as pissed off as his sister. The rest of the BoB gave the twins sympathetic looks. They had all dealt with difficult teachers before.

"I've got to text Merle about this, it's ridiculous!" Lup continued, grabbing her phone and typing away. Magnus laughed at this. Merle would be just as angry as Lup, no doubt. The twins' adoptive father wasn't a fan of bullying, no matter who it came from. He would probably write a pissed-off e-mail to the school as soon as he got the text.

"I would've said something to defend you, but I didn't want to get shouted at..." Lucretia mentioned in a small voice. Taako turned away from Lup to look at her and smile.

"It's all chill, dude," he said. It wasn't often he took his friend's emotions into account, but this time he was sincere. He was trying to get better at caring about other people's feelings, actually. He didnt know much about Lucretia, but he knew that she hated shouting, or being shouted at - especially by an adult. Lucretia just gave a weak smile and started to write in her journal again, as she had been doing before.

It wasn't long before the group's conversation was interrupted by the last member of the BoB showing up. It was the first time Taako had seen him since the summer so he was pretty excited to catch up with him. So excited, in fact, that he almost jumped out of his seat.

"Davenport! You're here!" Taako exclaimed as Davenport sat down next to Lucretia. He was a short gnome man with red hair and pale skin, as well as glasses. Davenport waved and grinned.

_How was your summer, Taako?_ Davenport signed at Taako. He had a specific sign for everyone's name, for Taako it was a _T_ and then the sign for _rat_ (Taako had wanted _mongoose,_ but it was way too complicated to sign every time. And everyone thought _rat_ was way funnier).

"Good. But today was shit," Taako said. Davenport shot him a worried look.

"Got kicked out of Elven for being elven," he clarified. Davenport smirked at this, and Lup laughed, obviously amused by Taako's exaggeration.

_That sounds fucking hilarious, what happened?_ Davenport signed. Taako rolled his eyes, trying to suppress a smile as he explained. Once he had finished his dramatic ranting, Lup looked at Davenport.

"Don't believe anything he just said. It was way less interesting than that," she said, earning herself a glare from Taako. Davenport nodded and turned to Magnus and Lucretia, although the latter was busy writing in her beloved journal.

_How was Music, Magnus?_ Davenport signed ( _M_ and _bear_ was Magnus' name, which everyone agreed was quite fitting). The two of them had Spanish, English and Design Tech together, but were split up for lesson 2. Magnus took Music, Davenport took Computer Science.

"Bad, as always. I love music, but everything about the lesson is total bullshit!" Magnus replied with a sigh. Lucretia looked up from her journal and gave Magnus an intrigued look.

"Oh?" She said, prompting for further explanation.

"I don't want to talk about it," Magnus mumbled, glancing down.

There was an awkward pause and Lucretia hurriedly resumed writing. Taako shot Magnus a concerned look.

"Don't worry, the professor is just a dick," Magnus said quietly, so that only Taako could hear. He nodded, only half-believing his best friend. The BoB started splitting off into their own worlds. Taako and Lup, still ranting about their own classes. Lucretia, writing in her journal. And Davenport and Magnus, signing to eachother about their timetables.

Taako looked around at his friends. Neither Lup nor Magnus seemed keen on talking about the shit people were apparently saying about them, and he wasn't even sure if the other two knew about it. He sighed, he didn't want to have to be the one to bring it up. But I everyone else was going to ignore it... He had to. Taako cleared his throat loudly enough for everyone on the table to look at him.

"Uh," he started, not sure on how to phrase his concerns, "who here _knows_ that everyone hates us? Hands up." Well, that could've been... more awkward.

The rest of the BoB looked around the table, a little confused. After a few moments of shared silent panic, hands started to raise. Magnus was first, then Lup, Davenport and Lucretia, all of which were staring at Taako. He smiled lightly and prompted them all to lower their hands.

"Are you chucklefucks telling me that you all heard rumours and shade being said behind your backs, and you didn't tell anyone else about it? And that I was the only one to not notice, yet still the only one who knew that more than one person found out?" Taako asked in disbelief. His friends nodded slowly, also processing the irony of the situation.

"Why am _I_ the smartest person today? Me, Taako, flip wizard. Why are you all so _stupid_?" Taako continued, looking at Lup on the word _stupid._ She nodded, a little embarrassed. Everyone else looked the same. They had been quite dumb.

"Well then," Taako said, "it seems we should all have a talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might go back and edit this one :/  
> Chapter 3 will be a while sorry :0


	3. Chapter 3 (2.5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako has an idea

They had a talk.

"So, uhh, what have people been saying about me?" Taako asked. He tried to come off as unbothered but his words were a little too rushed, a little too concerned, to seem uncaring. Lup was the only one that noticed, giving Taako a worried look that he didn't even see.

 _People don't know if you're gay or not_ Davenport signed, with a smirk. Taako straight up laughed at that, how could people not know he was gay?

"Who the fuck thinks this bitch is straight?" Taako said, loudly, gesturing to himself. A few laughs could be heard across the table, which gave Taako a small dose of confidence. If there was one thing he could get right, it was gay jokes.

Smiling, Taako prompted for more rumours. No one spoke. A wave of uncomfortable silence washed over the group. Taako's anxiety levels skyrocketed. Why wasn't anyone saying anything? The quiet was eating away at him.

Then, after what felt like hours, someone cleared their throat. It was Magnus.

"A popular one is that you're, like, _unnaturally pretty_ , I guess. People like to make up shit about how you achieve your, uh, looks?" He said, looking uncomfortable. The others around the table were glancing at each other with concerned expressions. And Taako's once alleviated mood was shattered. Of course they went for his appearance. Of fucking course.

"Oh," he breathed out. Lup caught his eye and forced a smile, a silent attempt to reassure her brother.

"It's stupid, I think," she said lightly, "people just don't want to admit that you're way hotter than them, yeah?" Magnus made a noise of vague agreement, and Taako smiled a little - fake.

He could barely keep it together. He felt like every person in the lunch hall was staring at him, judging him. Did he really look unnatural? Was all the energy he put into his appearance wasted? He wanted to look like Lup. When he didn't put in any effort, he didn't even remotely look like his _twin_. The person he had spent his whole life with. They fucking took _pride_ in looking alike, especially when they were kids. It was their best trick, a way to survive, and a bond they shared. You'd be surprised how easy it is to steal when there's two of you.

"Is there any way we could stop these rumours? Or perhaps at least de-bunk them?" Lucretia said, ubruptly pulling Taako out of his own thoughts. He was glad, that part of his life was something he would rather bury. And the way he was thinking wasn't productive.

The group started to bounce ideas off of eachother, but Taako stayed quiet. The sounds from his friends started blurring into one. He couldn't focus on them. They were distracting. And he was thinking.

"What about videos?" Taako finally said, not really caring who he interrupted - since he had zoned out while they were all talking. Lucretia looked at him with a semi-annoyed expression. He had cut her off, apparently. But that didn't matter; he had to explain his idea.

"Like, if we made a series of, uh, videos debunking the rumours and sent them to everyone in the school. Wouldn't- wouldn't that deal with the problem?" He said, trying his best to make his idea sound like the best one (and to hide his nerves).

 _That could work. And it would be easy._ Davenport signed across at Taako. The elf smiled, at least someone was on his side.

Lup was also pleased with the idea. Being able to re-shoot her video as much as she liked was an amazing concept that calmed her nerves. Maybe her secrets wouldn't be a surprise to everyone, but she wanted to deliver them with as much grace as possible.

"Sounds like a fuckin' baller idea, bro!" Lup almost shouted at Taako. She wasnt calm enough to control her volume (or words in general, apparently, who the fuck says 'bro'?) but it didn't matter. Taako needed the boost anyway.

Why wasn't she calm? Taako was uncomfortable, she could tell. And that made her uneasy. Older sister instincts, always active, and maybe heightened by past experiences.

The rest of the group also seemed supportive of Taako's idea. Lucretia even said it was _pretty nice,_ which was a huge compliment, probably. Around the table was a common thought, a promise, a fear, a prediction:

Everything is going to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is kinda filler oof


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako and Magnus make their videos

Taako set up his video camera and tried to keep himself calm as he shut and locked his bedroom door. His heart wouldn't slow down, but he'd just have to deal with that. That and the feeling of nausea that stuck in his stomach as he pressed record and sat down on a chair, facing his non-existent audience.

He breathed slowly, maybe he should meditate? No. He had to do this.

"It started - I think - when I was about 10," Taako began, already feeling way out of his depth. He could see his reflection in the camera, at least the lighting was good.

"I didn't want my make-up to smudge or look bad so I cast a quick spell to make it _look_ like I was wearing the stuff, when I wasn't. That sounds so stupid but like - if I could go back to that day and tell younger Taako to _'just_ _deal with it, don't use a spell'_ I- I guess I would." He continued, and took a breath. He didn't want to stress himself out. At least he had dramatic effect.

"Suddenly I was obsessed with my looks. I would look in the mirror and make a list of all the things that were _wrong_. As I got older, my magic got stronger and... Well, it'd be easier to just show you."

Sighing, Taako flicked his hand and removed his _disguise self_ spell. Immediately he felt a rush of energy come back to him, reminding him of how much effort he put into maintaining such a powerful spell. Senses buzzed in a familiar way as the effects of the spell disappeared.

His make-up went first, leaving his face bare. Then, his dazzling grey eyes lost their shine, and darkened dramatically. His lips were less full, nose just a little more prominent, ears longer. A few scars showed up on his once-unblemished skin, along with dozens more freckles - more messy than his usual few. His hair seemed less healthy, more plain, and his dark roots were showing up, contrasting his white-dyed hair. Taako knew no one would be able to see, but his teeth were a little more yellow, and sharper, than they once were.

He wasn't _ugl_ y, but he wasn't _stunning._ He wasn't _perfec_ t. He wasn't _amazing_. He _was_ unconventionally beautiful. Now he was just weird.

The camera was staring at him; he suddenly felt exposed.

"So this is me. This is Taako. Hope you didn't throw up too much, my dudes." Taako smiled forcefully, trying to laugh at his own joke. It just made him sad.

"Anyways, uh, you might be wondering why the fresh hell I just did that. Well, one of the rumours people seem to be spreading about me is about my looks. Some of you say it's unnatural, some say I've had surgery, some say I'm an evil temptation demon from hell. But Taako's done playing your games! This is how I look now and y'all are gonna have to deal with it, homies!" Taako announced, attempting to keep up an uncaring facade. But he did care. He hated looking like this. It didn't feel _right_. He knew his friends would be shocked at his reveal. He had lied to them for so long, even Lup. It was tearing him apart. It had been for a while.

"Now... what else?" Taako said, thinking about what rumours he wanted to debunk, "Ah, yeah. Yes! I'm gay! You can all chill about that now. And no, I'm not dating any of my friends. I love them, but - ew - not like that. Ugh... that's kinda it." Taako paused and looked directly at the camera, breathing in and out for a few seconds, taking in the dusty smell of his room.

"Hope you enjoyed this thing as much as I did," he said, and that was it. He ended the video and grabbed his phone, texting the BoB group chat.

**Taako:** my vid is done

It only took a few seconds for someone to reply. Taako wasn't surprised to see who it was.

**Lup:** oh shoot already? I've been procrastinating mine

Smiling, Taako wondered what his sister's video would contain. He knew at least one thing that would be in there. But other than that _,_ he was clueless. Which was a strange feeling, he and Lup usually shared _everything_ with eachother. But if he could hide what he did for so long, she could be hiding _anything_.

His phone buzzed, another message showed up in the chat.

**Magnus:** I'm gonna film mine now

Taako was a little surprised by Magnus' eagerness to film his video. He had been super quiet about his feelings ever since last year, why would he want to make his video so quickly? A disturbing thought hit Taako as he typed a response.

**Taako:** take ur time, I just wanted to get mine out of the way

No reply. Taako inhaled sharply through his nose. He had to double text.

**Taako:** don't feel pressured to make ur video now just cause I did mine so quick

Magnus didn't reply, but someone else did.

**Lucretia:** I'm glad you said that because I'm going to be procrastinating for as long as possible and none of you can stop me.

**Taako:** good don't push urself too soon

Taako put his phone down after that. He had to edit his video, cut out any awkward pauses, mess with the lighting and sound a little, and then he'd fall asleep. This whole thing had left him tired.

\----------------

In Magnus' home, a camera was being suspended from a rope. Magnus didn't exactly have the fancy set-up that Taako did, but it would do. He just wanted to get his feelings out. Pressing the record button, he sat down on his bed and tried his best to smile.

"Uh, hi. It's Magnus here - obviously. I'm making this video to clear some things up... I want to- I want to address some of the things people have been saying about me." Gods. He had to pause the recording. Calm himself down. Everything was overwhelming him. Maybe he wasn't ready? No. No. He had to do this.

Shaking, he resumed his video.

"The main thing I want to talk about is what," _breath_ "what happened last year... As many of you know, I took a month off of school last year - just after the holidays. I came back covered in _scars_. I'm not surprised that rumours started pretty quickly. But some of them.. went too far." Magnus frowned. No, he wouldn't go into detail about that. Those messages he received flashed up in his mind, making him shudder. He felt cold.

"What really happened was- it was horrible. But I'm ready to tell you." That was a lie, he wasn't ready at all.

"There was a car crash," _fuck_ , he was already shaking so much, "I was in the car with my- my parents, and _Julia._ " He choked out her name, and it tasted poisonous on his tongue. Tears threatened to spill as he continued.

"She was my girlfriend, my _best friend,_ the fucking love of my life. Fuck, sorry." He had to pause the video again. Then he was sobbing loudly into his hands. He pulled at his hair in frustration, and screamed. Shutting his eyes was a mistake, he saw her face. She was beautiful. But when he opened his eyes again she was gone. And Magnus felt like someone had stabbed him through the chest. Then, suddenly, he felt nothing.

Magnus looked at his reflection in the black metal of the camera with a blank expression. It seemed he had burnt out all his emotion, after that breakdown.

He needed to keep going. So he did.

"My dad was driving, we were on a road with a sharp ledge. He just- he was fine and then he started coughing, _choking._ He lost control of the car, and we went straight off of the edge. It happened so fast. They were all _gone._ And I woke up in a hospital. According to the doctors, my dad was given food poisoning - that's what they found out from the bodies. I think. I never saw them. I didn't want to." He couldn't bring himself to say _dead._ But that's what he meant. And he had lied again. He had wanted to see the bodies, but no one would let him. He had wanted to say goodbye. But he couldn't.

"So that's how I got most of these scars. And that's - that's sorta it, actually. If you have any more questions, ask. I can't - I don't know if I'll answer them all." And that was it. Magnus stopped the recording, and took the camera down from the rope. After a few long, drawn-out breaths, he grabbed his phone and shot one text to the group chat.

**Magnus:** its done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lup, Davenport and Lucretia make videos  
> Nothing else happens

Waking up before noon on a Sunday was an actual war crime, Lup was pretty sure. But here she was, being woken up, by a text from her idiot brother. She grabbed her phone clumsily and opened the message.

 **Taako:** going out today for a while k?

Oh, that gave Lup the opportunity to film her video with no eavesdropping. She had been wanting this moment all week. But now it was here, dread filled the bottom of her stomach. She really didn't want to make this goddamn video, but it had to be done. She shouldn't put it off for much longer.

 **Lup:** yah whatevr

Her phone buzzed almost immediately with Taako's reply. Lup laughed under her breath, her brother sure knew how to text.

 **Taako:** k see ya

She heard the front door slam.

 **Lup:** bye

The next few hours were spent making her room and herself look presentable. It wasn't often anyone saw her room, so she had to make a good impression. Or whatever. Maybe she was just putting it off even longer. Lup cursed very loudly when she realised this - in the middle of polishing each of the many shotglasses on her shelf.

Sighing, she grabbed the camera from Taako's room. Of course, she was tempted to watch his video. But she was a good sister, and she wanted to get this over and done with. Lup hit record.

"Hey, I'm Lup. That was the worst introduction ever but we're just gonna roll with it." Great. Great start. This was going great.

"Alright so for the past - like - year I've been hearin' some rumours 'bout me and I'm just gonna clear 'em up or I might literally die." Yes! Use some comedy, that might distract from how awkward you are.

"So quite a few people have been wondering why I get changed in the school toilet for Phys Ed. This is also kinda linked to why I tend to wear loose clothes, why I haven't got a partner, why my voice is inconsistent etc etc..." Realising she was rambling, Lup decided to get to the fucking point already.

"I'm, uh, transgender. And up until right now the only people who knew were my brother and my da- adoptive dad sooo that's fun. Except it isn't fun it sucks and I hate it very much. Okay, oof, emotional honesty. We're just bringing out all the big guns right now, huh? Whelp, as long as I'm here!" She clapped her hands together and flashed a smile that said 'fuck it'.

"I'm single because I've always been super self conscious about coming out to my partner and making everything weird between us! I wear loose clothes because I didn't wanna get attacked for being flat-chested! My voice is inconsistent because estrogen doesn't make your voice higher and I'm constantly straining it to make it sound believable! Haha this is fucking fun..." It was not fucking fun actually. But Lup didn't care much at this point. Also, she almost called Merle her dad a minute ago and it was still too fresh in her memory to let her think straight. Like she ever did anyway.

"Uh, that's it. Sorry about all that shit. To learn more you have to be level 10 friend or higher, sorry." God, why was she apologising so much? She had to end the video right now. She didn't want to start rambling again. Lup smiled a little at the camera, trying not to look at her likely pitiful reflection.

"Bye,"

\----------------

At the same time, but in a different place, Davenport was also setting up his camera. Which was actually his phone balanced on a lot of books. He decided he would add subtitles to his video so everyone could watch it, without knowing sign language. Pressing record, Davenport smiled to himself - he had a lot he wanted to get off his chest.

 _Hi, Davenport here. I'm making this video to disprove rumours that have been spread about me in school. I'm sure it's obvious what people talk about._ He paused and grinned awkwardly, like he was expecting a sign of reassurance from his phone. He received nothing. So he continued.

 _W_ _hy am I mute? Well it's actually a lot more simple than what people say. I'm selectively mute, have been for ten years now... Part of the reason is self-confidence. I don't have any. Anxiety is also a reason. It's not very fun. There's also some good old fashioned trauma and deeply-rooted mental shit but I'll tell you about it in a second._ Okay, great. He wasn't planning to get this deep with his video but whatever. His hands had a mind of their own, apparently.

 _Firstly, though, a little backstory would be helpful - wouldn't it? When I was four my mom and dad were shot dead by a police officer at the side of the road. Don't worry, I barely knew them, that's not where the trauma comes from._ He didn't need any sympathy for that part of his life, he didn't even remember it. Not really.

 _But since I don't have any other family I was put in an orphanage. And I was adopted really quickly. That's where the trauma comes in. My adoptive family weren't the greatest. Scratch that - they were fucking abusive. Physically and mentally - they'd always make fun of my voice, and tell me to shut up. It was hell._ Davenport grimaced and looked away from the camera for a few seconds, calming himself down. Now _those_ were memories he'd except sympathy for.

After a couple more beats, Davenport turned back to his phone.

 _But hey! Now I live with some cool moms so it's okay. Hopefully this cleaned up any questions you've wanted to ask..._ he smiled sadly, trying not to get lost in thought.

_See you later._

\----------------

Lucretia may or may not have forgotten to film her video. So it was Sunday evening and she had to frantically gather all her filming stuff and click record at the speed of sound.

"Hello, my name's Lucretia. You've probably already seen someone else's video so I'll be quick. I'm here to address some things people have said about me in the past, and give you the truth." Woah, okay. She was talking too fast. Slow down, Lucretia.

"First of all, why do I always study? Easy! I enjoy studying. I know that sounds lame but I can't help it. I just... like to learn. Sorry that's so boring," she said, scratching the back of her neck. Taking a breath, she continued.

"Next, why am I always writing? That's a harder question to answer. Not because it's complicated, just because I'm a little embarrassed by the answer. I'm, uh, writing down everything that happens in the day. So I don't forget anything. I have this stupid dream where I write the story of my life and become famous and I don't want to miss any details. So I write them all down. I'm going to have to write a lot when I see the rest of these videos, no doubt." So far, so good. One more point to cover.

"Lastly, why am I so quiet? The answer: I'm shy. That's also pretty boring, I guess. But overall, I'm a nerd who likes to write and hates public speaking. Thanks for watching... um.. bye," she said, trailing off near the end.

After finishing the video, she downloaded it onto her phone. While she was at it, she texted the group chat.

 **Lucretia:** it's done

 **Taako:** ok

 **Taako:** everyone send me your vids and I'll post em on my social medias

 **Lup:** why yours?

 **Taako:** the whole school follows me pretty much

 **Lup:** fair

 **Magnus:** sending mine over <3

 **Davenport:** same here

 **Lucretia:** here you go

 **Lup:** good luck bro mines on ur camera

\-----------------

The videos were released.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo I literally just wrote this so I'll edit it at some point probably when this is done, same can be said for every chapter lol. Sorry for such a long wait I have exams. If you wanna comment plz do I love every bit of support I get!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A semi-eventful Monday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof sorry this took a long time! I had exams. Plz comment and leave kudos if you enjoyed it :) not much happens in this one :///

Magnus felt free. He was wearing his favourite vest, and he felt amazing. He hadn't worn anything without long sleeves for... he couldn't remember how long. Yes, people stared and whispered as he walked down the corridor. Yes, his pale scars were on show. No, he didn't feel self-conscious. Not really. Magnus just breathed deeply and smiled, taking in the positive atmosphere he had created around himself.

He briefly thought about how his friends were dealing with everything. Some of the shit in those videos was pretty heavy. Well, so was his one but... Whatever. At least they had all already known what had happened to him. Some of the stuff the gang dropped was brand new information.

As Magnus turned a corner, he spotted a familiar figure briskly walking towards the lockers. It was time for a talk, an awkward talk.

\----------------

Taako felt trapped. No one had spotted him yet, but he sure looked suspicious. A dark hood covered his head, uncomfortably constricting his ears. He heard a whisper, and saw a group of people standing close to him. Someone looked him dead in the eyes and he bolted away as quickly as possible, pulling the hood further down his face.

He didn't want to be seen. But it was inevitable, he supposed. Sighing, Taako removed his less than high-fashion hoodie and opened his locker, throwing the thing inside before slamming the door.

Oh. That made everyone look at him. Stupid.

"Taako!" A voice echoed down the awkwardly silent corridor. Taako winced, it was Magnus. He didn't want to see Magnus. Groaning, he turned to face his friend.

"Yes?" Taako hissed as quietly as he could. Several people had continued with their conversations by now, but some still watched them. Taako hugged himself in discomfort. Magnus looked too happy with the situation. Everything was wrong and weird and stupid.

"I, uh. I guess I'm really proud of you for-"

"Don't!" Taako interrupted loudly, almost frantically. He covered his mouth in shock at himself and quietened his tone to a whisper.

"Don't congratulate me Mags. I.. I hurt myself for years trying to be something I'm not. Please- please don't be proud. I feel like shit." He looked away, at the floor, and sniffed. Magnus nodded a little, but barely understood Taako's reasoning. If he had stopped a bad habit, wasn't it appropriate to say 'well done'?

Taako turned back to Magnus and grabbed his arm suddenly, panicked look across his face as he dragged him into the bathroom. Or, Magnus just went along with it - Taako wasn't nearly strong enough to move him.

"You said it was food poisoning?" Taako asked, eyes darting around the empty space. Oh. OH. The crash.

"Taako, you know you didn't-"

"But I did! It was me! I made the food... I made the food. Oh gods, I made the food." Taako grabbed his hair and pulled it as tears welled in his eyes. The realisation was hitting him, he was responsible for the crash. He-

"I killed them," he said. Magnus caught Taako as he fell onto his chest, and started to sob. Magnus couldn't think of what to say. Yes, the car crash was caused by his dad getting sick from food poisoning. Yes, Taako was the one who made the food. Yes, his parents and Julia were dead because of it. Was Taako a murderer? Fuck no.

"You- You're not a killer, Taako. It was an accident," Magnus said as soothingly as possible. Dammit, now he was trying not to tear up. So much for a good day.

Taako stepped away from him and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. He looked up at Magnus and forced a small smile.

"You're not okay, don't pretend," Magnus said. Taako nodded, feeling small.

"Sorry. I- I needed to say it. To you. Or I'd never start to get better. Forgive myself. Heal and stuff," he mumbled. Magnus smiled.

"Shit is fucked, yeah?"

"Hell yeah."

\----------------

Lup was having a weird day to say the least. Taako had left the house before her, probably trying to escape another self-woth lecture from Merle. It was fair enough, though. Ever since the videos were released just two days ago, Merle had been non-stop ranting about finding peace with your inner self and all that shit. By Monday morning Lup just wanted to scream 'Gods alive old man! Just shut up and go flirt with a cactus!' But she refrained, to keep her relationship with her adoptive dad as zen as possible.

Furthermore, she had been misgendered by a handful of people already. Yeah, she had stopped hurting her voice just to make it higher, but nothing else had changed. Now, thanks to a bunch of assholes, she was feeling super shitty.

At least she had lunch now. Her first 4 lessons seemed to have flown past, she barely even remembered what happened in them. Presently, she and Taako were sitting with the rest of the gang in awkward silence.

"So..." Lucretia started. Davenport smirked at the awkwardness of it all. Thankfully, Lup was ready to save the day.

"Someone told the Elven teacher that I'm trans and now she keeps misgendering me," she said. Taako turned to her in shock.

"What the fuck? That bitch sent me out of lesson _and_ disrespected your identity? I could have her fired for like, three types of hate crime!" He screamed, waving his arms about.

"If they would believe you," Magnus said with a smile. Taako rolled his eyes and nodded, no one ever listened to the students when they complained.

 _Wait, three?_ Davenport signed with a confused look on his face. Taako nodded.

"Mhm. Transphobia, obviously. Homophobia because I'm gay and I don't like her. And racism because she's a human and we're elves... and I don't like her. I could totally destroy that bitch!" He exclaimed. Lucretia and Magnus laughed while Lup gave him an approving look. Everyone loved to bond over the mutual hatred of this teacher. Oh, and the music teacher that Magnus hated. Yeah.

"Hey, Lucy?" Lup said after the ranting was over. Lucretia looked at her.

"Yeah?" She replied, setting down the pen she was writing in her journal with.

"You better destroy Mrs and Mr Bitchass in your book or I'm not buying it," Lup announced. Everyone started laughing again. Well, almost everyone was laughing. Taako was mentally far, far away. Staring at the mysterious stranger on the other side of the room. One thing was on his mind:

_Oh woah. He's hot._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this then check out my other stories ;) they are better  
> Also this wasn't proof read so sorry :/ I'll edit it when I've finished the whole thing :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako meets a handsome stranger and Lup likes 1 (one) nerd man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I hope y'all like this chapter! Please please please leave a comment and kudos because it really motivates me and I love to hear your opinions on my writing and the story! Literally anything is appreciated :)

The stranger Taako was staring at was tall, with dark skin and eyes. His hair cascaded across his shoulders in dreadlocks littered with golden beads and rings. He seemed to be a half-elf of some description, due to his height and slightly pointed ears. Taako would know when he saw the guy up close.

Speaking of which, the mystery man was now walking straight towards their table. Taako frantically slapped Lup's arm to get her attention as he continued to stare at the dude. Lup stopped mid conversation to glare at her brother, but saw how transfixed he was. Following his line of sight, she turned her head and saw the guy that had caught Taako's attention, getting closer now.

"Everybody shut up," she announced as this guy's footsteps became more distinguished from the noise in the cafeteria. Everyone stopped talking and turned their attention to the dude who was now standing a metre away from them.

"Uh, s'cuse me- sorry- I, um, could I sit with you?" He asked. Taako almost melted then and there. First of all, he was British. Like, hell yeah. Second, hot dude was standing right in front of him, acting all awkward. Thirdly, he was wearing a suit! Who the fuck wears a suit? That's so neat. Taako couldn't form any words, due to complete incompetence. Luckily, Lup always had his back.

"Depends. Who are you and what's your opinion on pineapple pizza?" Lup replied. Ah, the classic question. The dude looked notably confused and stumbled over his words for a solid minute before figuring out what to say.

"My, uh, my name's Kravitz. I just- I just moved here from England? Pineapple on pizza? Hells no," he said, tugging his sleeves. Lup smiled and turned to Magnus, who nodded excitedly. Davenport and Lucretia were giving a thumbs up, bright smiles on there faces. Lup didn't even need to look at Taako to get his response. A full house of approval.

"Okay, you're in. You can sit next to Taako," Lup said, waving a hand towards her brother. Taako poked her and gave her a pissed off look but she just smiled at him with an innocent face. Kravitz took a seat.

"So," Magnus began, "I'm Magnus Burnsides. I may look scary but I'm very lawful good... But I can and will throw you 40 ft so don't mess with my friends." He flashed a smile that made Kravitz shiver, not that anyone but Taako noticed. Next to introduce themselves was Lucretia, apparently, since she stopped writing for half a second.

"I'm- my name is Lucretia. I don't hate you, I just don't talk much. Everyone thinks I hate them," she said softly. Kravitz nodded, understanding what she meant. Davenport gave everyone on the table a nervous look and turned to Kravitz.

 _My name is D-A-V-E-N-P-O-R-T_ he signed each letter _But in ASL I'm boat-man. Don't ask. I hope you can understand me._

Kravitz smiled and signed back _Yes_ _. Just mute, or deaf?_ Wow. Okay. He was kinda rusty. But at least Davenport understood him. The gnome shook his head.

 _Just mute._ He signed. Before Kravitz could reply, however, Lup boarded the introduction train.

"Hail and well fuckin' met! I'm Lup and this is my Twin brother Taako. He thinks you're hot," she exclaimed, looking Kravitz dead in the eye. Taako sighed and let his head fall onto the table with a thud. His sister had to ruin his chances every time, didn't she? Kravitz felt his face get warm, unusual for him, and he embarrassingly tried to form a sentance again.

"Well, um... Taako. You're pretty good too. I mean, uh-"

"Dont lie, my man. You don't need to like this face," Taako cut him off in a defeated tone. Kravitz looked practically mortified.

"No! I- I like your look," damn stutter, "I'd love to get to know you better." This made Taako flinch. He didn't know how to react, really. So he grabbed his phone and began to add a new contact. He ignored how shaky his hands were. Was Kravitz always sitting so close? He smelt like cats.

"One date. One chance. Give me your number and show me how much you want this to happen," Taako said, too fast to sound casual.

"Ok." Kravitz handed over his phone, unlocked and showing his number. Taako didn't acknowledge him and just threw the number into his own phone as quickly as possible. He then copied the links to the videos that were released one day ago (somehow, everyone had seen the videos overnight. People do crazy things for drama.)

"I'm sending you a link to some important videos, by the way. Watch 'em," Taako mumbled as he sent the links. Kravitz shrugged and took his phone back.

"Sure!" He said, mind already swimming with ideas about what the fuck the videos could be. Yet, he decided to put these thoughts at the back of his mind, and make light conversation. That's what people do, right?

"Can we compare schedules? I don't know whe-"

"Lup!" A loud voice cut Kravitz off before he could finish his sentance. Lup turned around and Taako saw her jump a little once she recognised who it was.

"Heyyy Barry, what's- uhhhhhh- what's up?" She asked the human man before her. Taako immediately shunned his sister for knowing someone with such piss-poor fashion sense. Blue jeans and a white polo shirt? Does anything scream 'basic' more than that? What was more worrying was how awkward Lup was being around this dude. What the fuck was going on?

"Can I get your number?" Barry asked. Lup tensed up. "I mean- not in that way! I meant so we can talk about the project!" He quickly tried to defend himself. Lup relaxed a little and smiled, handing over her phone - awkwardly.

"Sure thing," she said, laughing - awkwardly. Barry entered his number into her phone - awkwardly. It was a tense situation for the whole table. Like, the tension was palatable. Barry handed back the phone.

"Well. Bye," he said, disappearing as suddenly as he had arrived. Lup turned to see all of her friends smiling maliciously at her.

 _So, Lup, Barry Bluejeans? Didn't seem like your type but okay._ Davenport signed, breaking the tension. Lup's face flushed red as she hid it in her hands.

"Nooooooo," she whined, voice muffled. Taako laughed, unable to contain the air of light happiness in his tone.

"You totally like him, sis."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this please check out my other TAZ works because they are similar in writing style but a hell of a lot shorter ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I'll try to update this as often as I can but I've never been good at that so sorry :/


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